"Liu is a world-class talent."
- Romantic Times BOOKreviews
Long ago, shape-shifters were plentiful, soaring through the sky as c...
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reviews
Aug 28, 2011
Cecilia
rated it: 
This was my first Marjorie Liu book, and I liked it enough to read more, but not enough to keep. I loved the premise-an ancient tomb is discovered and inside is a chimera, who is still alive after thousands of years. The heroine was unique and fully realized-I liked that she was disfigured, with only one arm, and was more mature and haunted than the average paranormal romance heroine. The hero was intriguing, although more one note than the heroine. The book started off with a bang, and I raced
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Jul 26, 2011
I received Marjorie M. Liu’s The Fire King, her ninth Dirk & Steele novel, as an Advanced Reader’s copy. In general, I am not a romance reader, with the exception of paranormal romance, and even so, there are only two authors I like and whose series I follow. That number has now grown to three.
The Fire King pairs Karr, a three thousand year old shape-shifter with a twist and Soria, a maimed human with an innate gift for languages. What they have in common is a painful past. Karr also h More...
The Fire King pairs Karr, a three thousand year old shape-shifter with a twist and Soria, a maimed human with an innate gift for languages. What they have in common is a painful past. Karr also h More...
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Jul 29, 2009
Julie (jjmachshev)
rated it: 
A 3000-year-old, hunky shifter and a special woman wounded physically and emotionally make for an engrossing read. "The Fire King" is Marjorie M. Liu's latest in her 'Dirk & Steele' series and I loved it. Each of her books, at least those in this series, dig down behind the differences in her characters whether they're shifter or human and draw on the feelings and emotions that are present in each of them.
Soria is a human with something extra--the ability to understand More...
Soria is a human with something extra--the ability to understand More...
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Feb 02, 2012
Katie
rated it: 
Strength of a lion, heart of a man
This book is a must have for any shifter lovers bookshelf. This is the first book I have read by this author and it certainly won’t be the last. Between the beautiful descriptions of the different places these characters go and the characters themselves this book was impossible to put down.
I really liked how communication both verbally and non verbally played a part in the relationship between Karr and Soria. They are both great characters who More...
This book is a must have for any shifter lovers bookshelf. This is the first book I have read by this author and it certainly won’t be the last. Between the beautiful descriptions of the different places these characters go and the characters themselves this book was impossible to put down.
I really liked how communication both verbally and non verbally played a part in the relationship between Karr and Soria. They are both great characters who More...
Aug 24, 2009
Janice (Janicu)
rated it:
http://janicu.livejournal.com/82189.html...
The Premise: The heroine of this story is Soria, a woman with an extraordinary ability to pick up languages. It's always been the case since she was a child, and people call her a prodigy. They don't realize that it's magic, and that the mere presence of a fluent speaker is all she needs. It was a useful gift when she was with the Dirk and Steele agency, but after the loss of her right arm, Soria had a falling out with them and left. Unexpect More...
The Premise: The heroine of this story is Soria, a woman with an extraordinary ability to pick up languages. It's always been the case since she was a child, and people call her a prodigy. They don't realize that it's magic, and that the mere presence of a fluent speaker is all she needs. It was a useful gift when she was with the Dirk and Steele agency, but after the loss of her right arm, Soria had a falling out with them and left. Unexpect More...
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Jun 07, 2011
Kim~Fantasy~MR
rated it:
Ok this one took a bit of a turn, but it was brilliant...I never could quite figure out where each character stood! I loved Soria, and I felt so bad for Eddie when she first saw him again! I love Eddies character and I can't wait till he finds a good girl to compliment him in every way! I am dissapointed in Roland, I understand the whys, but still I was dissapointed by him. Karr was a great new addition, although the lengths that they were hunted was impressive. I could not believe all the switc
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May 26, 2010
Heather in FL
rated it:
I enjoyed this book. I originally got it because I wanted to try out checking out ebooks from my library through Overdrive. They don't have a huge selection of paranormal ebooks, but this one looked interesting so I tried it. And I'm glad I did, because I'm not sure it's an author I would have gotten to soon.
If there's one complaint I have, it's that there wasn't enough romance scenes between Soria and Karr, but each author/series has its own level of that, so it's forgivable. :-) Bu More...
If there's one complaint I have, it's that there wasn't enough romance scenes between Soria and Karr, but each author/series has its own level of that, so it's forgivable. :-) Bu More...
May 09, 2011
Susan
rated it:
Marjorie M. Liu has penned another gripping novel of extraordinary characters with a thrilling plot that will have the reader entrenched within the danger and the heart-wrenching emotions. Karr is noble, fierce and protective of all he considers his, but an old war between his kind has left him distrustful and angry. Soria is a woman left feeling unwhole and shies away from most human contact. Their battered hearts will touch the heart of the reader and forever leave their mark as these two t
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Feb 25, 2011
Lexie
rated it:
This is the second Dirk and Steele novel I've read after the newest book, In the Dark of Dreams (yes I did things out of order). Liu doesn't write easy stories, and by that I mean her books more often then not will have both the hero and heroine face tremendous odds. Odds that most people would find unimaginable; The Fire King is no different. Karr faces the fact that he wakes up thousands of years after he thought he had died, in a world that is in stark contrast to what he knew, but still m
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Feb 28, 2010
Siria
rated it:
I enjoyed this one much more than the previous installment in the series, The Wild Road, mostly because of the heroine. Soria is a former agent of the Dirk and Steele detective agency, someone who can understand and speak any living language (most awesome superpower ever, y/y? She says as a medievalist who struggles with Latin), who left the agency after suffering a disabling injury.
While this book has the same flaws as Liu's other books (her prose never rises above the serviceable; More...
While this book has the same flaws as Liu's other books (her prose never rises above the serviceable; More...
Aug 23, 2009
Jess (The Cozy Reader)
rated it:
Plot: 4
Setting: 5
Writing: 5
Originality: 5
Characters: 5
Passion: 4
Overall: 28/30 = 93%
Cover/Title Bonus: 5
Dorchester Pub sent this wonderful book to me to review a few weeks ago.
Summary (author’s website):
Long ago, shape-shifters were plentiful, soaring through the sky as crows, racing across African veldts as cheetahs, raging furious as dragons atop the Himalayas. Like gods, More...
Setting: 5
Writing: 5
Originality: 5
Characters: 5
Passion: 4
Overall: 28/30 = 93%
Cover/Title Bonus: 5
Dorchester Pub sent this wonderful book to me to review a few weeks ago.
Summary (author’s website):
Long ago, shape-shifters were plentiful, soaring through the sky as crows, racing across African veldts as cheetahs, raging furious as dragons atop the Himalayas. Like gods, More...
Nov 17, 2010
Lauren
rated it:
Because of its various animalistic and X-Men spin off characters The Fire King really captured my interest and in the end surprised me. The beginning was rather slow which is part of the reason it did not get the fifth star. It took me a while to get to a part that I could really sink my teeth into and it seemed as though the characters were not having very much of a connection till around the last half of the book. Character growth was fairly good for the most part I think pretty much every cha
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Oct 07, 2010
Alina
rated it:
This is BY FAR my favorite novel in the series.
I was originally introduced to this author when I read a novella called "A Dream of Stone&Shadows" which was part of the Dark Dreamers anthology. It was such an original and fresh paranormal romance (at least to my eyes), that I couldn't resist looking for other books by Miss Liu. After having read A Taste of Crimson, she became an auto-buy. I have read all the Dirk&Steele novels - and even though not all of them have been More...
I was originally introduced to this author when I read a novella called "A Dream of Stone&Shadows" which was part of the Dark Dreamers anthology. It was such an original and fresh paranormal romance (at least to my eyes), that I couldn't resist looking for other books by Miss Liu. After having read A Taste of Crimson, she became an auto-buy. I have read all the Dirk&Steele novels - and even though not all of them have been More...
Jul 26, 2010
Kerry
rated it:
I haven't been in the mood for romance lately, or at least, not the genre version, but I wanted something different as a break from The Curse of the Mistwraith and this is the one that caught my eye.
I've been reading Marjorie M. Liu's Dirk and Steele series from the beginning, but I was starting to lose track of what had gone before and who was who, so I didn't immediately buy this one when it came out. Then I discovered that it, and all the previous books, were finally available as More...
I've been reading Marjorie M. Liu's Dirk and Steele series from the beginning, but I was starting to lose track of what had gone before and who was who, so I didn't immediately buy this one when it came out. Then I discovered that it, and all the previous books, were finally available as More...
Feb 02, 2010
Alicia
rated it:
I love this series primarily because Marjorie Liu creates strong women characters and wounded heroes (and heroines). I always enjoy how the two main characters learn to like and respect each other and learn to work together. It makes the love story so much more believable. I did like the agency being more close-knit than it has in the past few books and hope that eventually Marjorie rewards us with strong reasons that make sense within the context of the series. Overall, another solid romance f
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Jul 27, 2010
Mfred
rated it:
Oh man, Marjorie Liu, do you give good angst.
Soria lost her arm. Karr rose from the dead, thousands of years too late. Now the two find themselves in the middle of the Gobi Desert, embroiled in something large and dangerous. They can't quite trust each other but they're only safe together.
And the pain! The emotional turmoil! The loneliness, and the rage and the fear and the wanting... the desperate wanting! I could eat this novel with a spoon.
Soria lost her arm. Karr rose from the dead, thousands of years too late. Now the two find themselves in the middle of the Gobi Desert, embroiled in something large and dangerous. They can't quite trust each other but they're only safe together.
And the pain! The emotional turmoil! The loneliness, and the rage and the fear and the wanting... the desperate wanting! I could eat this novel with a spoon.
Feb 08, 2010
Kimberly
rated it:
I think the characters are great!! I really love Karr and all his manliness.... yum I love how the story is evolving and would recommend it to everyone even though i haven't finished it yet. Hopefully the end is just as good as the beginning, middle ect
Today I finished this book, I must say it was great. I liked it from the beginning till the end mostly you get books that start off great then you get to the end and it lets you down. This one didn't. I didnt want More...
Today I finished this book, I must say it was great. I liked it from the beginning till the end mostly you get books that start off great then you get to the end and it lets you down. This one didn't. I didnt want More...
Nov 21, 2011
Julia
rated it:
I love that in a book with three thousand year old shape shifters and psychic translators, the only moment that broke my suspension of disbelief was "Oh, sure, he cuffed her at wrist and upper arm? On the same arm?! The amazing redundant serial killer!". The old dragon is really getting on my nerves, though things turn out better in this book than expected. Also didn't expect Roland to turn up as an ex boyfriend. I wonder if he will ever get a HEA?
Oct 15, 2011
Vanessa
rated it:
Really liked so much about this-- the premise, the setting, the world-world building, the characters (personalities & motivations) and their interactions. I enjoyed the progression of how the H/h slowly grew to trust, know and love each other--some really nice *quiet* or *emotional* moments of awareness done on this aspect. Great pacing and skilled use of language. But ultimately I wasn't as emotionally vested as I wanted to be, not sure why.
May 01, 2011
Mina
rated it:
A very good book with several surprises.
1. The heroine is older, wiser, with more life experience than your average PR heroine. Also, she is dealing with the loss of an arm.
2. Ms. Liu tackles the issue of what could happen if two different shapeshifters fell in love. Something I haven't seen tackled in too many places.
3. It has dragons,lions, crows...and hunky men! :)
1. The heroine is older, wiser, with more life experience than your average PR heroine. Also, she is dealing with the loss of an arm.
2. Ms. Liu tackles the issue of what could happen if two different shapeshifters fell in love. Something I haven't seen tackled in too many places.
3. It has dragons,lions, crows...and hunky men! :)
Feb 05, 2010
Charlene
rated it:
Marjorie Liu and Elizabeth Bear both write such gorgeous prose that I would read them even if they didn't do plot and character as if they'd invented the concepts. Liu is true to form here in this installment in the Dirk & Steele series. Lots of surprises in the series storyline and a gutsy romance. Excellent way to spend an afternoon.
Oct 18, 2010
I still don't see how the title fits the story although I did enjoy it. It's that combination of history, action, mystery, and romance... Some disturbing facts about Long Nu and Roland come to light. Roland especially is a downer. There's an echo of Tiger Eye about this story.
Jan 10, 2010
Sandy
rated it:
It was a good book and an easy read. Had some fun twists. I must say that I found this in the sci-fi/fantasy section of the library and wasn't quite expecting the Romance Novel formula that was used.
I would have appreciated it much more if all of the surprise yearnings were not there. In my opinion it weakened the book.
I would have appreciated it much more if all of the surprise yearnings were not there. In my opinion it weakened the book.
Jun 03, 2010
It was difficult to get into and finish this book. It was about a woman who understands and communicates all languages. She is brought in to communicate with a man who is speaking a language that does not exist anymore. He is a shape shifter with a mysterious past.
Mar 01, 2011
AshleyAlexis
rated it:
3.5 stars.
I really enjoyed this one. It was a great romance w/o sexing. This is the first Dirk & Steele novel I've read but that didn't take away from anything. Love Soria shes a very likable character and her physical "flaw" makers her an even stronger heroine.
I really enjoyed this one. It was a great romance w/o sexing. This is the first Dirk & Steele novel I've read but that didn't take away from anything. Love Soria shes a very likable character and her physical "flaw" makers her an even stronger heroine.
Jan 26, 2011
Nettie
rated it:
This is, by far, my favorite read from 2010. I read this in a matter of three days, and devoured it. It was sexy and well-written, and I absolutely LOVED the storyline.
I got this book at Goodwill of all places, for seventy-five cents. Best money I ever spent!
I got this book at Goodwill of all places, for seventy-five cents. Best money I ever spent!
Aug 27, 2009
Michele
rated it:
Another twisty Dirk & Steele novel, a shape-changer warrior is woken from death into a new world. But no-one can understand a word he says, so they bring in Lyra, a communications specialist. She's a human translator, never met a language she couldn't understand.
Jul 22, 2010
Renee
rated it:
Another one of my favorites from the Dirk & Steele series. I particularly loved these characters--their special powers and their weaknesses. And the opening to this book is (to repeat myself) another favorite. It made me want to be a better writer myself.
Nov 07, 2010
Laura
rated it:
I haven't read a Dirk & Steele novel for quite awhile and was happy to find this one. I think this was the best one yet. Liu is an excellent writer and I find her characters interesting, believable, and easy to connect with.
Mar 04, 2010
Mary
rated it:
cover caught my eye and some of the best authors recomended. This is the 1st one of this series I've read & so glad I picked up. Fast paced, likeable charators that you could really feel for, this is a perfect series to read on vacation. Now I'm on the hunt for the ones I've missed
