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Fire (Graceling Realm #2)

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 58,613 ratings · 5,794 reviews

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 a...more

Hardcover, 1st US Edition, 461 pages

Published October 5th 2009 by Dial Books (first published September 24th 2009)

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Feb 08, 2010 Annalisa rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: If you liked Graceling, you'll probably like this

Shelves: fantasy, cover

Granted, I went into this book annoyed with Cashore's anti-marriage, pro-casual-sex message in Graceling, but the book never got interesting enough to overcome those messages. Okay, I didn't finish it, but if 222 pages into it, I'm bored and nearly shaking with rage at Cashore for using a YA story as a thinly veiled piece of propaganda, I doubt the end of the book will redeem itself. This isn't even YA, it's adult high fantasy, but these days publishers market everything as YA, and so it's sold...more Granted, I went into this book annoyed with Cashore's anti-marriage, pro-casual-sex message in Graceling, but the book never got interesting enough to overcome those messages. Okay, I didn't finish it, but if 222 pages into it, I'm bored and nearly shaking with rage at Cashore for using a YA story as a thinly veiled piece of propaganda, I doubt the end of the book will redeem itself. This isn't even YA, it's adult high fantasy, but these days publishers market everything as YA, and so it's sold and read as YA where Cashore forces her stories around some unhealthy and harmful messages instead of letting her characters and story grow organically.

This world full of monsters so beautiful people throw themselves at the monsters in lust and the monsters can control everyone's mind to make them do whatever they want was not a world I wanted to believe in. Plus, Fire is way too much like Katsa, but less interesting, more whiny, and the whole society more promiscuous. The book is congested with: friends with benefits (incidentally an 17-year-old with a guy several years older than her whom she doesn't even like and knows he's sleeping with every other girl in the country), a whole society sleeping around and fathering illegitimate children all over the place, lots of uncontrolled lust, people and animals throwing themselves at ~~Katsa~~ Fire because she's on her period, rape (from all that uncontrolled lust), murder, that whole village plunder and destroy stuff, and the happy mention of her father saying that just because ~~Katsa~~ Fire is beautiful he would never act out on that lust because he loves her, so throw a little incest into the mix. I don't know of a single, healthy relationship in the whole book, at least the part I got through. And the very worst of all of this is these things have nothing to do with the storyline.

The story was so slow developing and the characters one-dimensional that never gained my sympathy. So I'm making up my own ending, which I've hidden under a spoiler tag since apparently it's pretty closer: (view spoiler) It doesn't really matter to me. The characters and story didn't grab my attention; it's the messages that did.(less)

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Jan 31, 2012 Tatiana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, fantasy, ya, ala-ya-2010, tres-annoying, 2012, series-dropped-lost-steam

Unlike Graceling, Fire doesn't get better upon rereading.

The core of my issues with it remains the same, specifically Cashore's nontraditional approach to marriage and women's empowerment. I'll elaborate on it later. But besides that, this time this book is just boring. I think I was pretty generous to give Fire 3.5 stars 2 years ago. I now feel it deserves at least 1 star less. Too much navel-gazing, too much contemplating and whining and crying on Fire's part without enough action and romance...more Unlike Graceling, Fire doesn't get better upon rereading.

The core of my issues with it remains the same, specifically Cashore's nontraditional approach to marriage and women's empowerment. I'll elaborate on it later. But besides that, this time this book is just boring. I think I was pretty generous to give Fire 3.5 stars 2 years ago. I now feel it deserves at least 1 star less. Too much navel-gazing, too much contemplating and whining and crying on Fire's part without enough action and romance to balance things out, too much talk of periods and cramps. Plus, the nature of Fire's power is such that even the most climactic part of the novel comes off as an over-complicated non-event.

I still think there is an improvement in Cashore's writing in terms of world-building. But, after reading Megan Whalen Turner's novels that were, undoubtedly, an inspiration to Cashore, Fire pales in comparison. The intrigues, the politics of it are only weak shadows of those of Attolia.

And now onto the main concerns. I think it's certainly brave of an author to create novels where heroines are different from the so-called norm. Cashore writes young women craving full independence, undesiring of long-term partners and children. That's fine. But I can't help but be disappointed in how all women are portrayed in Fire. They all are not exactly immoral, but definitely lacking in scruples, dignity and caution. They cheat, the sleep with everyone around, they get pregnant when they have resources not to, they don't care if they are cheated on, they, to me, seem to think they don't deserve love, monogamy or at least respect. The men are no better, they are indiscriminately cheaters, philanderers and rapists. I'll be hard-pressed to find even one healthy, committed relationship between a man and a woman in this book, a relationship where participants are equal partners in all decisions, including those concerning procreation. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe a man should have a say in the decisions about child-bearing as well.

As a result, Fire is full to the brim with illegitimate children (literally, almost everyone in the book is a bastard or a result of a rape) and excessive amount of casual, adulterous and forced sex. It's a soap opera!

And it's boring and would have benefited from some tightening up.

I don't think I'll be reading Fire again.(less)

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Aug 13, 2011 karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: why-yes-i-ya, pretty-girls-make-graves

fortunately, jenn awwww yeeaahhhh is literally half my size. go on - look at my shoulders - i am like a mighty moose to her delicate deer:

there is no way she can make good on that threat.

so i am just going to say it: i liked this book less than i liked graceling.

bring it, tiny creature.

and from a critical standpoint, there is nothing wrong with this book. it has a fine story arc, good character development, a good array of both descriptive and action sequences - i would say that the pacing is a...more

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Mar 11, 2011 Lora rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lib-audiobooks, fantasy

"Dark, dark my light, and darker my desire. My soul, like some heat-maddened summer fly, keeps buzzing at the sill. Which I is I?"---Theodore Roethke, In A Dark Time

I believe that quote reflects Fire's inner turmoil with her ability quite well.

There's a war on the horizon, and Fire's the last remaining human Monster known to the Dellian people, and so, because of her ability to alter and manipulate minds, she's called to interrogate prisoners by the Dellians' leader, King Nash.
But Fire's afraid...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Steph Su rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, own, signed

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 be...more

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May 08, 2012 Shawn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, favorite-authors, series, 2010-reads

Fire is a monster in the land of the Dells. Not your typical monster, mind you. She is more beautiful than any human and more lethal and dangerous than any weapon. Monsters have powers over the mind and body, the ability to manipulate others to their will but Fire is different. She cares too much for others to hurt them as her monster father did. The last thing she wants is to use the people she cares for like puppets.

Briggan doesn't trust Fire from the moment he meets her. She's a monster and...more

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Feb 01, 2010 kari rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

57 likes · like · see review

Nov 09, 2009 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, ya, fantasy, ala-s-best-books, faves

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 vu...more 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.
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Oct 03, 2011 Alyssa Udall rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: magical, sci-fi-fantasy, teen-fiction, will-read-again-and-again, wow-loved-it

Originally posted at Redhead Heroines: Book Review of "Fire" by Kristin Cashore

Fire is described as a companion book to Cashore's Graceling. It's a prequel to the first novel in Cashore's Seven Kingdoms Trilogy, which is to be completed with the publication of Bitterblue in September of 2011.

But in reality, Fire is its own force. It does not rely on the popularity of Graceling. It does not rely on the beautiful cover or the premise of the story. Fire is the story of one of the most wonderful pro...more

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Feb 06, 2010 Daria rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horribles

So. Where do I begin?

Perhaps I should begin with my rating. One star seems harsh, truly, but goodreads describes that rating as, "Didn't like it." And that is an accurate description, for I simply didn't like the book.

Thus I'm sticking with one star.

And now for the book itself: I was hyped for the day I would actually get my hands on it and presumably storm through the whole thing in six hours, as I had done with Graceling. This anticipation was fueled by the raving reviews (on goodreads and e...more

24 likes · like · see review

May 11, 2009 SheWunders rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-childrens_lit, fantasy, 2009-05, 2009-cybils-finalist

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Set across the mountains from the Seven Kingdom in the Dells Kristin Cashore has created another amazing world with another beautiful set of characters. The Dells do not have Gracelings, but they do have “monsters.” Monsters are brightly colored and extremely beautiful versions of their normal counterparts. They have mental abilities that allow them to communicate with and control non-monsters. ( Think bright green mice, pale blue spotted leopards, and beautiful florescent birds.)

Fire is the las...more

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Mar 03, 2012 Meagan Spooner rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, favorites

Okay, I don't often write reviews, because as an author I always feel weird giving a critical opinion of other authors' work. I think it's because I sort of feel like other authors are my coworkers, all of us working and writing to make people fall in love with reading, so who am I to publicly say what is or isn't right?

But I can't help myself in this case. I feel rather as though I fell as inexplicably and inextricably under this book's spell as its characters fall under Fire's. I had no chanc...more

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May 13, 2012 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-and-ya-fiction, fantasy-and-science-fiction, authors-cd

Over the mountains from the kingdoms in Graceling are the Dells, where rebellious nobles plot against the young king, and where some animals are monsters: brightly colored, beautiful, often dangerous versions of normal animals. Fire is a human monster, the last of her kind. She is irresistibly, wildly beautiful and has the ability to control minds, though she resists using it, remembering the terrible example of her brilliant, twisted father. When the king's brother Brigan arrives to ask her for...more

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Oct 09, 2009 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

If reviews on goodreads and amazon.com are any indication, this book is a big hit with readers, many of whom were already Cashore fans from Graceling. This was a great story, and like Graceling, its imaginary world is mapped out succinctly and effectively, but for me, I didn't enjoy Fire as much as its companion novel (although I had some reservations about that one too).

Fire's a decently developed character; she's a discordant mix of strength and vulnerability that doesn't work too badly overal...more If reviews on goodreads and amazon.com are any indication, this book is a big hit with readers, many of whom were already Cashore fans from Graceling. This was a great story, and like Graceling, its imaginary world is mapped out succinctly and effectively, but for me, I didn't enjoy Fire as much as its companion novel (although I had some reservations about that one too).

Fire's a decently developed character; she's a discordant mix of strength and vulnerability that doesn't work too badly overall, although the beginning chapter sets us up to see her as more of a rogue than the Florence Nightingale figure she ends up being at the end. And that clunked a little for me; Cashore is wise to develop a heroine vastly different than Katsa (there can only be one of her), but I still wished she'd packed a little more punch. But her struggles with loss, violence, and handling her "gift" were well-played; again, not as developed as Graceling, where the coming-of-age elements were some of the novel's strongest points, but solid.

Speaking of Graceling, Leck was as creepy as I hoped he'd be, and depicting him in full creep-mode as a child of 10 or 11 was really well-played. He's a psychopath, for sure, so we're not given any wild and unexpected character development, but his disturbing nature is well-wrought and particularly interesting when brought into contrast with Fire's similar strengths.

The plot lags a bit, especially at the beginning, and I liked her development of Brigan enough that I wish we'd seen more of him, and more of him interacting with Fire. I missed the old 10-page conversations that Katsa and Po were always having, and that worked so well; something was always revealed or developed by those conversations. But here, Fire has many people to interact with, and Cashore handles that well; the royal family manages to be both loveable and volatile, and even members of her guard are unique and interesting. Archer left me scratching my head sometimes, and despite his annoying traits, I would have liked to see more of his actual character, rather than the purported shows of flirtation or jealousy he was always putting on, to better understand his difficult relationship with Fire.

All that said, the novel missed the mark for me in one significant way. I was a little startled to find, in a book marketed so clearly as YA (and YOUNG YA at that -- the font size was much too big to be treated as "adult") so many themes of predatory sexual behavior. The threat of rape that Fire encounters regularly (and which she specifically mentions, so that we can never kid ourselves it's "just" physical violence she's in danger of) was troubling. It was targeted at a 17 year old character who has already been engaged in a very casual sexual relationship despite her fears, and this lust/desire theme is very present in the novel and yet never really tackled as an issue by the author.

Serious issues like this can and should be addressed in any type of novel, YA or not, but if you go for it, you'd better face it head-on, and for me, that never really happened here. It was a looming threat that I only sometimes believed Fire truly took seriously. And sometimes it bordered on ridiculous -- Fire's worries about it sort of hearkened back to the old Victorian female hysterias of "I'm in a roomful of men, and at any minute those monsters could attack me!" -- and maybe it felt like weird paranoia because I had a hard time buying into the "monster" aspects Cashore describes. But whatever it was, it seemed like a very old-fashioned way to address the problem in a novel with so many other present-day realities (sex is such a comfortable idea in the book that Fire's not the only one sleeping with her pal, whom she later rejects; he turns around and impregnates two different women in less than a month's time). Fire grappled very effectively with her fears about losing loved ones, and I wished she'd had the opportunity to face, head-on, these other fears regarding her own personal safety. She gets turned into a punching bag and a target more than a few times, after all, and it would have been good to see her fight back more effectively, instead of always being rescued.

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Sarah I seem to be the only person in these reviews that's okay with the age group listed. I appreciate everything you've written here and you were nice eno...more
Jan 13, 2013 12:14am

Heather Sarah wrote: "I seem to be the only person in these reviews that's okay with the age group listed. I appreciate everything you've written here and you...more
Jan 13, 2013 05:25pm

Jul 13, 2010 Ivy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

If a book could be considered a non-event, this would be it. Kristin Cashore writes a long, boring book, about a strange monster human woman that is so unnaturally beautiful, men try to kill each other to get at her.

This prequel to Fire is more of a stand alone book though only one character from Graceling is present. The book starts out promisingly enough but really doesn't go anywhere, as the prologue sets the stage for a promising read, but too soon gets lost in long narratives of the strange...more If a book could be considered a non-event, this would be it. Kristin Cashore writes a long, boring book, about a strange monster human woman that is so unnaturally beautiful, men try to kill each other to get at her.

This prequel to Fire is more of a stand alone book though only one character from Graceling is present. The book starts out promisingly enough but really doesn't go anywhere, as the prologue sets the stage for a promising read, but too soon gets lost in long narratives of the strange world Fire lives in. You see, it's not just a place that has people and animals. There are monster-humans, monster-mice, monster cats, and monster-raptors. Yes, there are regular mice, cats and humans as well but why the monster mice haven't done away with the regular mice by now is beyond me.

Fire lives a quiet, hum-drum life until an archer is caught on her property after he nearly kills her. She spends the next 100 pages getting hurt by various animals and people, and I began to worry that Fire was going to be a damsel in distress. Thankfully, that is not the case and things begin to pick up once her injuries have healed. Unfortunately, it goes downhill again when she travels to the kings palace. The king, of course, is bowled over by her beauty and can't control himself around her while his brother, Brigan, stays away from her at all cost because she has the power to control people's thoughts. Fire, feels like a prisoner because her beauty puts her in constant peril of men and monster-raptors who smell her out particularly when she is having her period. Yes, that's just what I said.

There is basically no plot except that the kingdom is under threat of being attacked by upstarts. Brigan is always coming and going, spying to gather information for the king. It seems unlikely, therefore, that Fire will begin a romance with Brigan, but that is just what happens. There is no climax, however, and this story just seems to putter along.

The story picks up its pace when the Graceling character appears, but his quick exit deflates the story once more. The ending was uneventful and you are left wondering what kind of future is in store for Fire and Brigan. The supporting characters' storylines seem to get more of a wrap-up than Fire.

I give this book 2 and a half stars because though Cashore did have some interesting ideas, it seemed to lack clear direction.(less)

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Feb 07, 2009 edh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you're a fan of Graceling, this companion novel set over the mountains to the east of the seven kingdoms will satisfy. The main narrative starring Fire (a half-human/half-monster young woman) is framed by the story of a particular young Graceling who has the ability to control others completely... you'll recognize the future King Leck immediately. Fire has a similar talent, but because of her monster blood she can actually sense what people are thinking rather than simply order them around. H...more

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Feb 13, 2009 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-mt-bookpile

When is a sequel not a sequel? When it's a book like Fire, set in the same world as Graceling, but with none of the previous book's characters or plot. I'd call it the second in a series, rather than a sequel.

Anyway, this opens with a brief prologue that introduces us to a character and the new-ish world we're going to explore, then the book proper starts. The first character, Leek, doesn't reappear for quite some time - over halfway through, in fact - which niggled at me more than I can say. As...more

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Feb 16, 2009 Gwen the Librarian rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teenbooks, fantasy, diverse-characters

I was very nervous to pick up this really early preview edition of Kristin Cashore's newest novel. Graceling was so wonderful, a prequel made me hesitant, just as all second novels and sequels do. Ha! Oh ye of little faith. Kristin Cashore is an absolute gift to our world. Fire is EVEN BETTER than Graceling. I just kept feeling so grateful to even be reading such incredible work. The characters are amazing. The pacing is perfect. Again, I felt like Cashore carefully selected each word she wanted...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Hirondelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, don´t-own, fantasy

I was underwhelmed by Graceling. I did not hate it, but it was both simpler and plainer than what I was expecting. It took me ages to finally decide to read this, and that thanks to a big push from friends.

This is a prequel of sorts, with a tangential link to Graceling (a link which IMO is a weakness for this plot), it stands on its own perfectly. And I liked it much better. The writing seemed just deeper and the story more interesting. Fire, our narrator is one of those supra-human characters,...more I was underwhelmed by Graceling. I did not hate it, but it was both simpler and plainer than what I was expecting. It took me ages to finally decide to read this, and that thanks to a big push from friends.

This is a prequel of sorts, with a tangential link to Graceling (a link which IMO is a weakness for this plot), it stands on its own perfectly. And I liked it much better. The writing seemed just deeper and the story more interesting. Fire, our narrator is one of those supra-human characters, and it works, so much that I never thought she was a Mary Sue. I liked the main characters, I liked the secondary characters, I liked they author´s take on women´s attitude to fertility (it depends on character and their situation. Just like in real life. Yes.) and I got enough respect for the plot.

But as usual I do have some quibbles. Slight ones:
- I thought the characterization of Fire´s power was more convincing at first, as if to establish reader belief on it. Towards the ending Fire was often surprised by a few things which surprised me that surprised her (ehehe. You know what I mean, I hope). As for example,(view spoiler)
- For some reason I was expecting a little more backup to the natural history of this magic. "Monstrous" magical creatures, craving each other´s blood and in brilliant colors, I get it. It´s magic. But I was sort of expecting some deeper insight into the whys, or peculiarities of it. Maybe it´s on Graceling and I missed it?
(view spoiler)
But then again, I almost always have quibbles and these are pretty minor, considering. I really enjoyed this. I like it very much when an author´s second book seems *better* for me me than their first, it certainly makes me go out and buy their third. And now I am definitely wishlisting Bitterblue. Which I hope is not too much like Graceling, because I still do not *get* Graceling.(less)

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Mar 25, 2012 Jordan rated it 1 of 5 stars

[Spoilers!]

First off, let me say that I liked Graceling.

It’s sequel, Fire, however, did not exactly set me ablaze. Author, Kristin Cashore, gives us a big ol’ set-up of this other world, which sits next to The Seven Kingdoms, called The Dells. And in The Dells, it isn’t a very peaceful time. King Nash is barely clinging onto his throne, as rebel lords, Mydogg in the North and Gentian in the South are building their armies to unseat him, and the mountains and forests are brimming with spies and...more

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Oct 27, 2009 Sandy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, adult, teen, romance, fantasy-classic, sex, girly

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Not bad. Not as good as Graceling, but interesting enough. Probably a 2 1/2 star effort. I had originally given it three, but was so worked up by the time I was done typing the rant below that I had to change it (please consider that when looking at the rating). Will probably appeal just fine to the same crowd that liked Graceling - unless they become bothered by the same things I am. And good Lord, was I bothered. Considering how excited most people seem to be by this book my difficulties with...more Not bad. Not as good as Graceling, but interesting enough. Probably a 2 1/2 star effort. I had originally given it three, but was so worked up by the time I was done typing the rant below that I had to change it (please consider that when looking at the rating). Will probably appeal just fine to the same crowd that liked Graceling - unless they become bothered by the same things I am. And good Lord, was I bothered. Considering how excited most people seem to be by this book my difficulties with the book are probably largely personal.

I've got a lot of beefs with this book. I'm not sure exactly what my expectations were for this one anymore, but this book definitely didn't meet them. And there were a number of problems, described below in no particular order.

First of all: There are WAY too many similarities to be found to Graceling in terms of characterization. Both books feature fairly obnoxious female main characters who a) possess some sort of strange supernatural gift that they really don't want and that stigmatizes them from the rest of society, b) are completely absorbed in thier own problems, c) have refused to marry, and d) have an incredibly convenient connection to the local royal family that they aren't particularly proud of. The difference is that in Graceling, Katsa was fiesty and interesting. Fire, while somewhat interesting (if you like soap operas, see below) just agrivated me. Both books also feature really excellent male romantic interests who are way more engaging from start to finish than the main character and who also happen to be youngest princes who have great fighting skill but no interest in ruling. It really bothers me that when it comes down to it, the two central characters of both books are just variants of each other. Doesn't show a lot of growth at all on Cashore's part.

Speaking of not-so-stellar writing, allow me to complain about Fire's structure. Just as in Graceling, this book takes about 200+ pages to introduce all of the major players and their back stories. Then we break into the main plot. When we finally get to the war that we've been building up to for the first 300+ pages (well, actually just the middle 100 pages since the first 200 were all stupid introduction) it's hardly touched on at all except as a tool for Fire to a) figure out that she really does love Brigan and b) be incredibly, obnoxiously whiny about how awful war is. In Fire, many of the chapters follow a certain pattern: a) Fire recalls some memory of her awful father, which b) somehow relates to something else happening to her in the present, which often leads to, c) a starteling revelation. While not a bad formula to use, it gets old after a few hundred pages.

But back to obnoxious similarities between Fire and Graceling. Despite the ages of the main characters in both books, they aren't really teens. They're adults in their teen years. This didn't bother me so much in Graceling when I first read it, but it's so painful in Fire. Both Katsa and Fire are WAY too knowledgable about the world around them and they're making such adult decisions with such maturity and it never once seems out of place for the setting. Well, at least until the book's final 150 pages or so, when plenty of splendid melodramatic angsty scenes appear in which Fire whines about how awful the world is and then learns her lesson by talking to and/or observing another (more adult!) character who of course knows better. While reading Fire, I wondered if it wasn't for Graceling, if Fire would have been marketed as an adult book - with teen appeal for sure, but its tone and characterization have a much more "adult book" feel.

My biggest problem with this book, and a big part of the reason why I feel it was so adult: I was incredibly bothered by the way that sex was handled in Fire. ALL of the sexual power was given to men and women were their toys who apparently can't say no 9 out of 10 times when a man wants them. It angered to no end that Fire was so victimized because "oh, poor me, I'm so beautiful that men fall all over themselves for me, which I hate, but I'm just a woman so what even can I do about it? It would be different if I was a man..." - over and over and over again. It got old. Just like Katsa and Po, Fire and Archer became lovers the moment their relationship turned romantic. Ditto for Fire and Brigan. Archer did nothing but piss me off with his womanizing, and it angered me to no end that Fire knew about it while she was still sleeping with him, and put up with it. Even Clara, the spymaster-princess and easily the strongest female character in the book, falls for that stupid man's spell and ends up knocked up. Lord. I'm also incredibly peeved that while Fire is 17, every man she sleeps with is a good five years older than her - and they're easily among the youngest of the adult characters. I realize that this is fantasy and such age differences and the maturity level of certain 17-year-old characters is typical of traditional fantasy, but it drives me nuts.

My final rant: The book is a total soap opera. Really, the plot is driven more by characters than by plot, and even then not so much by character growth. It's more about who's really who's father than anything else. Entertaining enough I guess, and probably one of the only reasons I kept reading after 200 pages, but not the tone I wanted after so much immediate action in Graceling.

So yeah...the book's fine if you like soap operas, where pretty much each of my other beefs with this book would be acceptable. A huge disappointment for me though. And it made me dislike Graceling more because of all of the stupid similarities that taint my memories of the first book. Damn.(less)

38 likes · like · see review

Jun 27, 2010 Anne Osterlund rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fire is dangerous. And terrifyingly beautiful. And broken. The only human monster left in the Dells, she is determined never to repeat the horrors her father committed.

But the Dells are like Fire. They too are dangerous and beautiful and broken. And if the kingdom is to survive, it will need her. And the new king who threatens her with his lust, the former leaders whose lies have yet to be shared, and the young general who has more reason to hate Fire than anyone else in the Dells. And may be th...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Maya rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those who want to read a "feminine" political fantasy

Where Graceling was a suspenseful, dangerous chase over snowy mountains, Fire is a calm promenade through the countryside, with assassins lurking behind the trees, but staying well hidden for most of the time.

For me, this wasn't a bad thing, even though I can see why it would be boring for some readers. In Graceling there was a constant sense of pressure of time, the need to act quickly, the story moves at a rapid pace and never stops to let you take a breath.

Fire starts out much more as a “sli...more Where Graceling was a suspenseful, dangerous chase over snowy mountains, Fire is a calm promenade through the countryside, with assassins lurking behind the trees, but staying well hidden for most of the time.

For me, this wasn't a bad thing, even though I can see why it would be boring for some readers. In Graceling there was a constant sense of pressure of time, the need to act quickly, the story moves at a rapid pace and never stops to let you take a breath.

Fire starts out much more as a “slice of life” kind of story. Rather than an adventure across half the continent, this is about the characters, in particular the main character Fire, coming to terms with herself, her powers and her father’s legacy. Her character development is the major focus of the novel. In general a big part of the story is occupied by emotions, human relationships, between friends and lovers, brothers and sisters, children and parents, young and old, i.e. the characters' interactions.

Also, this is about politics. Fire is actually a “political fantasy” novel. The author takes her time to develop the setting, the world, which in consequence is a lot more complex than what we have seen of the Seven Kingdoms in Graceling, and the different characters involved in the power struggles.

This focus on politics and character development / interactions in a rather calm environment will not appeal to everybody. Of course, lurking in the background there is always the thread of an upcoming war and the question of the trespassers, but these things don't take the center stage very often, and when they do, they disappear again rather quickly. Main character Fire is rarely at the battlefront and often in the hospital, so instead of the epic battles, that take place "off-screen", the focus is on the victims of war.

Personally, I was never bored while reading, because I enjoyed the writing, the subtle sense of humor and the character interactions with well-written dialogues, that manage to make even secondary characters endearing, even if you personally might not agree with their attitudes. I wasn't always happy with Fire's behavior f.ex. She can be quite a brat (and other characters tell her so) and makes some big mistakes. But this didn't hurt my overall impression of the novel. Everybody makes mistakes, and Kristin Cashore is not afraid to create smart and complex characters with good and bad sides to them. She doesn't work with "black or white", or as she calls it "a day-and-night way of thinking".

Of course there is also a love story, but it is much more subtle and not as dramatic as is usually the case in the genre of "romantic fantasy", so if you liked Graceling mostly because of the romance, Fire might not appeal to you that much.

Fire is a book for people who enjoy Slice of Life, dialogues and political intrigues. It is a rather different kind of book than Graceling, not necessarily in a bad way, but that depends on your tastes. I suppose it is better to go into this expecting, rather than "Graceling 2", a kind of "Game of Thrones for girls".(less)

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Dec 22, 2011 Alicia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, series-quit, own-kindle

I skimmed the last 20% of this book. Why? Because the main character is an insufferable, whiny brat.

Granted, she may have been a brat the entire book, but for much of the time I was blinded by the lovely world the author, Kristin Cashore, created. And toward the end, the main character became irrational, on top of being an insufferable, whiny brat. "No, don't look at me; I'm too beautiful." "I can't look at you because I'm afraid you will die." "No, I cannot go on! I am too beautiful." Wah, wah,...more I skimmed the last 20% of this book. Why? Because the main character is an insufferable, whiny brat.

Granted, she may have been a brat the entire book, but for much of the time I was blinded by the lovely world the author, Kristin Cashore, created. And toward the end, the main character became irrational, on top of being an insufferable, whiny brat. "No, don't look at me; I'm too beautiful." "I can't look at you because I'm afraid you will die." "No, I cannot go on! I am too beautiful." Wah, wah, wah.

I enjoyed the introduction to the world toward the beginning of the book. The world contains regular people and animals, and it also contains "monsters." Monsters are beautiful, colorful versions of other animals. They have the power to delve into people's minds to entrance and control them. Fire, the main character, is the only living human monster. Thus, she is beyond lovely, and she senses people's thoughts and feelings.

At the beginning of the book, Fire is on the farm where she was raised. We meet her and her adoptive family. And then she travels to King's City. The journey was tad dull but not so long that I began to pull my hair out. King's city presents some interesting new issues. There, Fire has to deal with being around many more people, most of whom have some strong reaction to her monstrousness. Some are immediately smitten. Others want to rape and/or kill her. That was fun and interesting; I liked seeing her getting acclimated to the city.

Then Fire is drawn into a war. There's lots of war-planning going on. Yawn! Fire falls in love. The romance was interesting for about four seconds, until Fire decides that she is too beautiful to love, and that her man is in too much danger for her to love him. That was the last 25% of the book: "No, don't look at me. I'm pretty! You'll die, and then I'll be sad but still really really pretty!" Wah, wah, wah.

I enjoyed Graceling, the first book in this series. I kind of wish I had never started this one. I have so many unread books on my shelves, and this book feels like a black hole into which I just threw my valuable time. I'll think twice, and then again a third time, before I pick up the next book in this series.(less)

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Jun 23, 2011 Lissa added it · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, kick-ass-heroine, 2011, love-this-boy

In my opinion, read Graceling first. But then read Fire. Even though if you're going to read this review, I'm going to give all these spoilers anyway. But I think Fire is better. I only gave Graceling 3 stars, and I believe Fire will become one of my favourite books.

(view spoiler)...more In my opinion, read Graceling first. But then read Fire. Even though if you're going to read this review, I'm going to give all these spoilers anyway. But I think Fire is better. I only gave Graceling 3 stars, and I believe Fire will become one of my favourite books.

(view spoiler)[I don't know where to start. I've read that people have massive problems with three things in this book, so I'll start there and hopefully start rambling enough to turn this into a review. I also feel the need to weep after reading this - not sure why.

1. People hate the mention of Fire having her period. Well, it's gonna happen, people. It does happen. And quite frankly, how the menstrual cycle works is quite often not even mentioned in fantasy. I mean, in books written by men, the women want sex all the time, even when you calculate that she should be gushing blood and nursing sore boobs and tearing heads off. But whatevs, because men don't really think about that kind of thing when they write fantasy. Or else they think about it too much. But Fire having her period was fine to me. However, what was not OK was when she sterilised herself and then had her period after that. I mean... if she's altered her body so she can no longer have babies, what's up with that? An author oversight, I hope. I'd hate to have to go through a menstrual cycle when I couldn't have kids any more. I understand why she doesn't want monster babies: it's because a monster always breed monster offspring. Which I'm not entirely sure makes sense, because then eventually, if the monsters aren't killed out, they'll be the dominant life form on the planet. Also, relating to her menstrual cycle, other people do not seem to get, or are totally grossed out, by the monsters renewed want to attack her during this time. Well, women bleed. We may be very good at hiding it in modern day society, but it happens. And Fire clearly didn't have the ease of tampons. So really, just shut the fuck up about her bleeding.
- as a side note, Cashore wrote that monsters have a craving for other monster meat. Which doesn't make much sense to my mind, because it's the monster mind and beauty that overwhelms other people, and I think monsters should be immune. But apparently they're not. Because Fire can dazzle even herself. And anyway, this means that all monsters should want to tear apart all other monsters, so I don't get how monsters swarms work, or how several monster bugs can attack her at once without attacking each other, or how two monster kittens can snuggle together.

2. People do not seem to grasp the concept of monster beauty.
Some people think Fire is a victim because of her beauty. I don't think she is. I think her beauty is handled very well. It would be hard to write a character that's pretty much sexually assaulted all the time because her beauty is go great, and people fall in love with her - but they are also dazzled by other monsters as well. It's her monster-ness that makes her beautiful, not the other way around. And she owns her beauty. She learns to harness it and use it to her advantage. She's not just a beautiful human, she's a monster too (I don't agree with that word. Something so beautiful should not be monstrous, although I understand the need for it).

3. People do not like the adultery and casual sex.
Well, they can go and read something else. I LOVE it. We need more sex before marriage in YA fantasy. I don't agree with the adultery, because I still believe in marriage, but I understand form the point of view of the characters who engaged in it.

At first I was a little disappointed. I thought Fire was going to be awesome at defending herself, but it turns out she needs to be guarded like, the WHOLE time. She wasn't quite the kick-ass chick I wanted her to be, not quite a warrior woman. What she was, though, was mentally tough. And vulnerable. I loved her characterisation. When I read Graceling, I was constantly telling a parallel story to myself as it went on, a story that went the way I preferred it to go. Reading Fire, I did no such thing. I was eager to get back to it when I put it down.

And I have to say, I think I'm a little in love with Brigan. I don't care that he's a little brutish when we first meet him - his got this magnificent personality, and the most important thing is that he's NOT HANDSOME. In fact, it's so wonderful because it's like the opposite of Beauty and the Beast. He had to look beyond Fire's beauty to find love, which I think is wonderful because I've written a book where the exact same thing happens, so how can I be anything but ecstatic at this turn of events? And I loved the writing of their blossoming love SO MUCH. It was none of this 'OMG he's so HOT I'm in love' crap that happens in paranormal romance. It was sweet, and came along quite nicely, and even when it wasn't directly addressed you were completely aware of it, which I loved.

Fire's character development was really awesome. I'm so sad that people put this book down half way through. She grows magnificently both in personality, character, and power. She makes her own choices, and even when her choice is taken away from her, she manages to gain control of the situation. I loved the Leck interactions - that's why I think it's important to read Graceling first.

No one can say that Cashore's got an anti-babies agenda in this book. Babies erupt everywhere. OK sure, I know Fire doesn't want to marry Archer, but I'm pretty sure she's going to marry Brigan. It's not just convenience that Hanna's there, either. She plays an important part in the book, a part that helps Fire realise things about herself and make her stronger. I don't think there is an anti-marriage agenda, either. But sure, the reason Fire doesn't want babies makes a lot more sense than why Katsa doesn't.

(hide spoiler)]

If I think of anything else to add, I'll edit it later. But this is certainly one of my favourite books now.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 15, 2011 Joyzi rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Older teens especially those who have trouble sleeping

Recommended to Joyzi by: Goodreads

Shelves: ya-books, book-series, e-book, fantasy, fiction, disappointing-books, don-t-judge-me, political-intrigue, reviewed, author-was-possessed, author-american, paranormal-romance

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My slightly long intro
***Book Review down there somewhere***

Okay I didn't like it and I just wanna say that I read Graceling before this and I really like Graceling. After I read it in fact I consider reading Fire next but because of the bad reviews I've read here in goodreads I decided to maybe not read it and I'll just wait for Bitterblue, the third book to come out.

However when Graceling became our Monthly book Challenge in our group here, most of the g...more

17 likes · like · see review

Oct 20, 2009 Arlene rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2009, ya-fantasy

I was eagerly anticipating the prequel Gracing by Kristin Cashore, and the book Fire did not disappoint. Cashore does a flawless job of developing her protagonists and coupling them with intriguing secondary characters. The story captured my attention from the beginning and the events were steady paced and carefully presented to keep me captivated the entire time. I am surprised that this book is categorized as YA as some of the content and events push the boundaries, but that didn’t take away f...more

8 likes · like · see review

Aug 24, 2009 Martha added it · review of another edition

Shelves: beloved, books-i-wish-i-edited, fantasy, literary-crushes, ya

If you've talked to me in the last few months, it's probably hard to believe that I could like a book more than I liked GRACELING. But, well, this is it. FIRE, the companion/prequel, is, in my opinion, even better.

So rich and lush and satisfying while also being rather bleak and heartbreaking. This book made me cry on the subway and on the promenade out of both sadness and happiness. The idea of monsters, like the idea of Gracelings, is so interesting and original. Leck is still the most ominou...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Krys rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: court-intrigue, fantasy, own, young-adult, series-i-love, medium-length-book, series

It took me 6 weeks to read Graceling, accounting to some unpleasant things going on in my life at the time of the reading. It took me 4 days to read Fire. I guess that should say something. I loved this book. It has all the strength of writing and characterization found in Graceling, and the story is just as compelling... but there's something to it that I can't quite put my finger on that makes it almost better than Graceling. Yeah, I said it. What?

Fire is an amazing character...tragic and flaw...more

6 likes · like · see review

Feb 09, 2013 Tanu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Try not to mentally draw comparisons between fire and graceling and you wouldn’t be disappointed with the novel.
Ps: What is it with YA and its heroes (no matter how drool worthy they are) just getting away with manhandling girls, pushing them against wall and all that?

2 likes · like · see review

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
What do you think of this book? Personally don't produce me any feeling	9	40	May 21, 2013 02:33pm
If you could be one of the exotic creature in this book what would you be/look like/name?	1	8	May 14, 2013 05:55pm
Graceling Realm : Fire	14	35	May 12, 2013 10:03am
Goodreads Choice ...: Fire Buddy Read - Starting 1st May	96	145	May 10, 2013 07:13am
Any book simialr to this?	10	59	Apr 30, 2013 04:02pm
FIRE: Asher or Brigan?	168	457	Apr 02, 2013 06:46am
Addicted to YA: Fire	20	150	Mar 22, 2013 06:31am

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About Kristin Cashore

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

So, here's the short tale of me: I grew up in the countryside of northeastern Pennsylvania in a village with cows and barns and beautiful views from the top of the hill and all that good stuff. I lived in a rickety old house with my parents, three sisters, and a scattering o...more Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

So, here's the short tale of me: I grew up in the countryside of northeastern Pennsylvania in a village with cows and barns and beautiful views from the top of the hill and all that good stuff. I lived in a rickety old house with my parents, three sisters, and a scattering of cats, and I READ READ READ READ READ. I read while brushing my teeth, I read while chopping parsley, the first thing I reached for when I woke up in the morning was my book; the only two places I didn't read were in the car and in bed. What did I do then? The one thing I liked even more than reading: I daydreamed.

And so, without knowing it, I was planting the seeds. Reading and daydreaming = perfect preparation for writing.

At 18 I went off to college-- thank you, Williams College, for the financial aid that made this possible-- and it almost killed me. College is hard, man, and the Berkshires are cloudy. A (phenomenal) year studying abroad in sunny Sydney revived me. After college I developed a compulsive moving problem: New York City, Boston, Cambridge, Austin, Pennsylvania, Italy, and even a short stint in London, where my showerhead hung from the cutest little stand that was exactly like the cradle of an old-fashioned telephone. The best phone calls are the pretend phone calls made from your telephone tub.

During my stint in Boston, I got an M.A. at the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons College. (Thank you, Simmons, for the scholarship that made this possible!) Grad school almost killed me, but I felt a lot more alive than when I was almost being killed in college. The Simmons program is stupendous. It got me thinking and breathing YA books. It got me writing.

Am I getting boring?

Since Simmons, I haven't stopped writing, not once. I've developed a compulsive writing problem that makes my moving problem look like a charming personality quirk. I can't stop! But it's okay, because I don't want to stop. I've been writing full-time-- well, more than full-time, really-- for about 4 years now, first doing educational writing for the K-6 market and now working on my novels. It's a dream job, which is another way of saying that when I shop for work clothes, I go straight to the pajamas section.

Should I say a little bit about what I'm like? I'm fiercely independent. I am sometimes a hermit, but never for very long. I am in search of the perfect cat. I'm a recovering Catholic. I meditate, and when I do, Prince Harry appears in my subconscious and meditates with me. It's a little strange but I don't think there's anything I can do about it. Sometimes he's not the only one; the other day it was me, Prince Harry, the Dalai Lama, Mr. Rogers, Coco the gorilla, and George Clooney. We were all floating above the earth looking down at the continents as they passed. George Clooney suggested I visit Providence, Rhode Island. The Dalai Lama sighed deeply and said he'd really like to visit Tibet.

Poor Dalai Lama.

I recently moved from Jacksonville, Florida, to Cambridge, Massachusetts, trading the St. Johns River for the Charles River and pelicans for geese. As a native northerner, it's nice to be back in the land of four seasons. I feel as if I've come home. :o)

And that's my story.(less)

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A Time of Change: Women in the Early Twentieth Century

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Fire (Graceling Realm #2)

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